Frequently asked questions

Do I need to ask permission to use an article from Hearing Times online or Hearing Times newspaper on my own website or in a newsletter?
No, as long as you give clear credit to Hearing Times, for example: ‘Reproduced from Hearing Times, September 2012,’ or ‘Reproduced from Hearing Times online, www.hearingtimes.co.uk’

Can I get copies of old newspapers?
No, but you can print out or save a copy from the online archives here.
 
How do I submit an event to Hearing Times?
It is free for charities and deaf clubs to advertise an event, if you are a dispenser, manufacturer or other organisation download our media kit for details of pricing, of visit our Press Office.

How do I submit an article or story idea to Hearing Times?
If you are not a journalist you can suggest or submit a story here.

If you are a member of the press or from a PR company visit our Press Office for further details.

Does Hearing Times use material from other sources?
Yes. Hearing Times staff is limited in number and try as we might, can’t be everywhere, so some stories and photos used by Hearing Times are taken from ‘wire services’, or groups, charities and organisation who have submitted content. Such material is usually labelled with the reporter’s or organisation’s name or the wire services name.

All content is reviewed and edited before publication, but our editors are human and sometimes mistakes are made. To report an error email [email protected].

Why is there advertising on every page?
Both the website and newspaper are funded by advertising, however we only allow advertising that we think would be of interest to you. Hearing Times tries to maintain an average of 60 percent of space for advertising and 40 percent for news and features in each newspaper.

Who decides what news and feature stories get in the paper?
Editors select what is newsworthy and assign, edit, and publish those stories. The specific content of Hearing Times online and Hearing Times newspaper is based on several factors: the relative importance of events taking place on any given day; the timeliness of the news; the editors’ desire to inform as well as to provide context, human interest, variety, utility, and entertainment each day; and the space available to present the news (see previous question for an explanation of this process).

In any newspaper, the selection process is not flawless. Editors decide what to publish based on their judgments and not on some formula. If the selection of news did result from a formula, many papers would look and read the same every day.

How do I comment on or complain about something in the paper?
Comments and complaints about content can be sent to [email protected].
Another way is to write a Letter to the Editor. Such letters are limited to 250 words, are subject to editing, and are not guaranteed to appear in the paper.

Letters to the editor appear in every issue of the newspaper on the editorial page, since they, like the editorial, are expressions of opinion.

Contacting Hearing Times via phone is difficult at times as our staff are often out on assignment or working to imminent deadlines. The best method of contact is email, [email protected] and a member of the team will get back to you


There seem to be a lot of errors in the paper. Why does the Globe make so many mistakes?
Newspapers are produced by human beings, and human beings make mistakes, particularly with the urgency of time and deadlines, despite how hard we try to get things right. Sometimes it’s a reporting error or an editing error. Or a spelling or grammar mistake. It could be an error in the information that was given to us to report. Sometimes, frankly, it’s bad judgment. As soon as we discover an error, we make every effort to publish a correction as quickly as possible. Hearing Times editors believe they have an obligation to print a correction when a mistake has been made.

Some of what your columnists write enrages me. Why do you let some of that get into the paper?
Editors grapple every day with the problem of content: What do I keep? What do I take out? What do I change? They are ever mindful that a column or editorial may irritate or enrage some groups or persons in the community.

The columnist and journalist offer personal points of view or opinions, however satirical or controversial, on public officials, public figures and public policy. Their intent is to add to the public dialogue on such subjects.

On occasion, editors refuse to allow material to be published because it exceeds what they believe to be the limits of public acceptability or good taste (profanity may be one example). On other occasions, the published cartoon or column might be the second or third version, because earlier versions were rejected.

Editors are reluctant to delete material simply because they personally disagree (as they sometimes do) with a certain point of view or because they know it might upset some readers. To invoke such power would put editors in the always dangerous business of censorship.